Up for sale, a 1983 Fender “Fullerton” American Vintage ‘57 Stratocaster in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original tweed hardshell case and hangtags. This Stratocaster is 100% original save for a full electronic suite from an identical American Vintage Stratocaster circa ‘87.

The Fullerton factory era of Fender vintage reissue production was very brief, lasting only from 1982-84, when Fender was still manufacturing their guitars on the same machines that made the originals back in the '50s and '60s at their Fullerton, CA factory. These models marked the birth of the American Vintage line of instruments, and were the very first vintage reissue guitars ever offered by the Fender company (when in this case the model they were replicating was only 25 years old). While Fender would later move to a new factory in Corona, CA in 1985, the Fullerton-made guitars are highly prized for their rarity, tone, and connection to the origins of the Fender company.

Traditional tonewoods include an alder body and a one-piece maple neck, and this Strat weighs 7lbs 8oz. The black bobbin 57/62 single coil pickups deliver quintessential Strat chime and clarity, with a sweet sparkle at the bridge and a notably smooth treble response. There’s a woody chop on tap in the middle position and a bell-like top end and plenty of meat from the neck pickup, and the “in-between” positions on the five-way pickup selector switch. This Fullerton-made ‘57 Stratocaster has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.

Neck Specs:

• Wood: Maple
• Shape: Soft V, measuring .875” 1st fret, .935” 12th fret
• Fretboard: Maple, vintage-spec 7 1/4” radius
• Frets: Slender, no wear
• Scale Length: 25 1/2”
• Nut: 1.650”, bone
• Tuners: Kluson-style
• Serialization: V00-prefix (neck plate)
• Factory Markings: Neck heel pencil dated 8-5-83, finish is mirrored on neck heel/pocket

Body Specs:

• Wood: Alder
• Pickups: Black bobbin single coil x3 (AVRI, replacement)
• Harness: CTS pots date to the 17th week of ‘87, chiclet tone cap (AVRI, replacement)
• Controls: Volume, Tone x2, Five-way pickup selector
• Hardware: Synchronized Tremolo with “ashtray” cover, jack cup
• Plastics: One-ply white pickguard (small chip adjacent to the bridge), gently aged knobs with greened text

The gloss two-tone Sunburst nitro lacquer finish exhibits vertical checking, with a few small chips along the lower bout perimeter and just a handful of minor dings on the top and back. The ambered nitro gloss on the neck profile is smooth and clean, with just a couple shallow nicks along the profile length.

The original tweed hardshell case is included, along with the hangtags.